Be Still
by GhostlyMayhem
Summary: Discord muses about his worries and fears while Screwball sleeps beside his stone form. Takes place long before "Return of Harmony", a few years after Celestia and Luna initially turn Discord to stone. One-shot.


**...**

**Be Still**

_"If you forget the way to go,_  
_and lose where you came from..._  
_If no one is standing beside you,_  
_be still and know I am..."_

_- "Be Still", The Fray_

**...**

At the moment, she's nothing more than a little pinkish-purple ball curled up at his feet, but to him she's so much more that, and he wants nothing more than to at least speak to her after so many years seemingly apart. He can't actually see her due to the permanent stone position he was forever cast in, but he can tell she's there by the sound of her soft, light snoring. He hasn't been able to physically see her in many years, but every night he hears her tiny voice, and that gives him some comfort from the long days of isolation in stone.

She sneaks into the royal gardens every night just to see him. Some nights she has stories to tell, of how her day went, while other nights she has tears, sobs and pleas that he wishes to answer but knows he is unable to. And the night always ends the same: with her sleeping beside his stone-form. Tonight she had come to him crying, and those are the nights he hates most. Unable to do anything to comfort his creation, his _daughter,_ as she pleads for him to come back. All he can do is stand there and listen with a heavy heart as she cries her purple eyes out to him.

Without his comfort, she usually exhausts herself crying, coming to a sniffling halt until her eyelids grow to heavy to keep up any longer. It doesn't take long for her to fall asleep after an emotional episode. He knows that she at least feels safe enough to fall asleep because he is there beside her, watching over her while she sleeps. In a way this is true, and to some degree he feels relieved: He'd rather be cast in stone than dead. At least for her sake.

Either way, it sucks.

Being in stone is quite awful, and was a rather painful experience for the spirit of chaos to go through in the first place. However, he isn't sure which was more painful: being cast in stone seemingly for eternity, or knowing that his innocent filly had watched it happen. He hadn't actually seen her in his last moments, but he knows she was there, and he knows she witnessed his turning to stone due to the fact she's told him numerous times. It's one of the reasons why he'll hear her screaming for him on some nights because of the nightmares, the lost memories she has of seeing him turned to stone...

...seemingly forever.

For an immortal being, hundreds and thousands of years doesn't seem like much. But being cast in stone, -stuck in one position, unable to do anything-, adds about a thousands more years to the number of years he's been alive. The days are dreadfully long with nothing to do... Unable to indulge in his lust for chaos in such a long time...

And yet... That doesn't seem like the worst part anymore.

There are other nights when he can hear the pouring rain fall in heavy droplets onto the stone that was once his skin, or hear her shiver uncontrollably from the cold during the harsh winters, and those are the very nights when he wishes for nothing more than to shield her from the merciless elements. As a creator, a father, the one thing he hates besides not being able to spread chaos, is not being able to protect his daughter from the cruel world that forced him on the path he eventually choose to walk on.

As she sleeps peacefully, he lets his mind wander, into the memories lost by time...

_'Remember all the words I said...'_

* * *

_"One day this will all be yours."_

_Sitting on his lap, her swirl eyes are filled with wonder and awe as she looked out at the chaotic mess her father had made of a once peaceful Equestria. After a long moment, she glanced up at him. "Do you really think so, Daddy?"_

_"Think so? I know so!" He pats her head. "After all, you're now the heir to the throne! The Princess of Chaos." He smirked down at her. "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"_

_His filly nodded eagerly. "I like it!" Once again her attention shifted toward the chaotic kingdom he created for them, for __**her**__._

_Their new home._

_He smiled and looked out at his kingdom. That was all he wanted, when he thought about it. Chaos was in his nature, yes. He was used to creating chaos. Being a father, however, was something he was still getting used to. Yet when he sees her smiling and happy because of his powers, his gifts, it makes parenthood rewarding for him. Seeing her happy fills him with an odd sense of joy he hadn't been used to before._

_He just wanted her to be happy, and now that they both had an entire kingdom to themselves, she couldn't be happier. His daughter could live comfortably and happily as a Princess in her own right, protected and guarded with no worries or fears..._

* * *

...And now she was probably homeless, living on the streets for all he knew. Without his protection from the simplest things like rain or snow. Unable to comfort her in her darkest moments.

He doesn't even want to think about the other possible lurking dangers out there. Because he's powerless to do anything if something were to happen. He always swore he'd protect her and destroy anypony or creature who even dare harm her, and now...

Now he can only hope she'll be okay. Pray that she'll even make it through her lonely days alive.

Life in stone caused many worries in the draconequus. He worries that one day she'll stop showing up. Whether by choice or fate, the lingering fear that he'll forever be there, alone, without her there every night to keep him company...

He worries about her safety, and that, -though she is immortal due to the fact he created her with his own powers-, she'll be harmed in that big, wide world all alone, without him there to protect her.

He worries about an entire eternity of not being able to watch her live a life he didn't have when he was younger; a life she _could_ have had. She's forever doomed to a life of loneliness, because he knows she suffers everyday from his absence. A life alone, with no one there: a life he once lived for a long time before he created her.

So many worries, such a long time ahead...

Such a long time ahead that he doesn't even realize the night is already over. He hears a small yawn and figures that it's morning. A few moments pass before he hears his daughter speak in a hushed whisper, making sure to stay quiet so the guards don't catch her. "Bye, Daddy, I'll see you again tonight..."

Something in her tone of voice answers his fears. Yet as he hears her trot away, Discord can only pray his Screwball makes it through the day alive.

_'Be still, be still, be still...'_

* * *

**A/N: I couldn't resist doing a "Daddy Discord" one-shot. Screwball is just to precious. :) And there are a LOT of cute pictures with Discord and Screwball. x)**

**Btw, this takes place WAY before Return of Harmony, probably a year or two after Celestia and Luna turned him to stone. Just so we're clear on the time...**

**Lol, I went through SO many title changes until I stuck with the current title. Top three songs that fit Discord and Screwball:**

**1. "Safe and Sound", Taylor Swift**

**2. "When I'm Gone", Eminem**

**3. "Be Still", The Fray**

**Also the song, "Run Daddy Run" by the Pistol Annies also fits, but that'll be for the next "Daddy Discord" one-shot I'm planning. ;)**

**Yeah, so I'm going with the theory that Screwball was created by Discord's powers, whether by accident or with a purpose. Because I love Dislestia so much I might make an AU one-shot where Celestia and Discord's powers came together and created Screwball, meaning they'd both be her parents. ;) Ahh, the joys of ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. :D**

**So yup. Please review if you liked it! X) Oh, and get ready to KEEP CALM AND FLUTTER ON! ;) ;) ;)**


End file.
